Chatsworth House



Background

Near the towns of Bakewell and Chesterfield, this grand estate belongs to the Duke of Devonshire and has been passed through the Cavendish family since 1549. The property was purchased by Sir William Cavendish in 1549. Before that time it had been the Court of Chetel, however it was not to be the magnificent house if is today until the Cavendish family began their works. It has been rebuilt many times throughout the centuries, but remains in Baroque architecture.

There are 126 rooms, though only 30 are open to the public as the family continues to live at Chatsworth House. The numerous stairways allow little to no interaction with tourists in the house.

The gardens consist of 105 acres, while the park  around the house (sustaining countless deer and sheep) comes in at 1,000 acres. As you approach the car park, you will see Chatsworth as the landscape architect Lancelot "Capability" Brown had designed it. While changes have continuous been made, the Cascade built in 1696 as well as the Emperor Fountain built in 1843 still stand today.

For more history, check out these books:
House Style: Five Centuries of Fashion at Chatsworth
Chatsworth: The House
Treasures of Chatsworth: A Private View

Or Visit:
https://www.chatsworth.org

How to Get Here

Address:
Chatsworth
Bakewell
Derbshire
DE45 1PP

GPS: Use postcode DE45 1PN


Driving:
Use GPS or Google directions for most direct route. We had no trouble finding the place using a 10 year old GPS system.

Buses:
170 from Chesterfield (from £6.50)
217 from Matlock (from £6.50)
218 from Sheffield (from £6.50)
440 from London to Bakewell (~£36)


Parking:
£4/Vehicle, varies with holidays
Free if tickets booked online

Opening Hours

March 25-May 25 & September 4-November 10
  • House: 11-1700
  • Garden: 11-1730
  • Farmyard & Playground: 1030-1730
May 26-September 3
  • House: 11-1700
  • Garden: 11-1800
  • Farmyard & Playground: 1030-1730

Tickets

**Parking is free if tickets are purchased online! Plus skip the wait, with pre-purchased tickets.
  • House, Garden, Farmyard, & Playground
    • Adult: £21.90
    • Child: £14.00
    • Family (2 Adults, 3 Children): £60.90
  • House & Garden
    • Adult: £19.90
    • Child: £12.00
    • Family (2 Adults, 3 Children): £54.90
  • House & Garden with Afternoon Tea
    • Adult: £40.00
    • Child: £40.00
  • Garden, Farmyard & Playground
    • Adult: £15.90
    • Child: £10.00
    • Family (2 Adults, 3 Children): £44.90
  • Garden
    • Adult: £12.90
    • Child: £7.00
    • Family (2 Adults, 3 Children): £34.90
  • Farmyard and Playground
    • Adult: £6.00
    • Child: £6.00
    • Family (2 Adults, 3 Children): £22.00

Things to Do

  • Gardens
    • Designed by "Capability" Brown, the ponds and meandering walkways provided endless marvels. Near the house, the Emperor Fountain is on display. This gravity-fed fountain is just the first of many wonders in the gardens. Looking up the hill from the Emperor Fountain you can follow the steps of the Cascade, a waterfall along 24 steps of varying sizes to provide unique sounds at every point. Beside the water features, the garden presents a hedge maze, kitchen gardens, 5 miles of trees, shrubs, and streams, as well as the rockery.
  • House
    • Explore 30 rooms of the house including bedrooms, dining hall, sculpture and art galleries. The décor is magnificent with painted walls/ceilings and mirrored halls. As a bonus you can take pictures inside to remember your visit and recount at a later date. In a few of the rooms there are guides telling a history of the place and room cards to recount details of each artifact.
  • Farmyard & Playground
    • The farmyard is a wonderful attraction for younger visitors who may have lost interest in the history of the estate and may not have the stamina for a 5 mile trek around the gardens. Here you can encounter cows, ponies, and donkeys, to name a few animals, or take a trailer ride. There are places to climb, dig, splash, and slide. If handling animals is an interest, they have that here too. They even feature milking demonstrations daily. We didn't make it to this stop, but it is a must for those with young children or for those who wish to spend less time in the house.

Nearby



 

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